India keen to invest in Indonesia’s East Java (With Image)

Jakarta, June 26 (IANS) Indian companies are interested in investing in various businesses in Indonesia’s East Java province, especially in steel, textile, education and human resource development sectors, a top Indian official has said.

India’s Ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh said this to H. Soekarwo, governor of East Java, during a visit to provincial capital Surabaya, also the second largest city in the country, the Indian embassy said in a statement.

Singh told Soekarwo that business delegations from India would include Surabaya as part of their tours to explore greater possibilities in the region.

Major Indian companies have already made substantial investments in East Java, and more plans will be considered, Singh said.

India would also offer five technical scholarships to people from East Java for short-term training programmes in India.

Singh said several students from the province have been shortlisted for grant of scholarships for graduate courses in India, and would be leaving for the country in the current academic year.

The Indian envoy met a few senior educationists from the universities of East Java to discuss further educational collaboration with India.

Later, Singh along with Surabaya Mayor Tri Risma Harini inaugurated the new building of the Spins International School, which was built with investment by an Indian company.

According to the Indian embassy, bilateral trade increased from $4.4 billion in 2005-06 to over $16 billion in 2010-11, making Indonesia a major trading partner for India in the ASEAN.

There are around 100,000 people of Indian origin in Indonesia, mostly concentrated in Greater Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Bandung regions.

Many Indian nationals work as engineers, consultants, chartered accountants and bankers in Indonesia. The Indian community is well regarded in Indonesia, and includes individuals holding senior positions in local and multinational companies.